The French prosecutor’s office has taken into custody the captain of the Grinch oil tanker, who is suspected of belonging to the so-called Russian “shadow fleet.” The ship was previously intercepted by the French Navy in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea and taken to the port of Marseille-Fos.
This was reported by Le Monde.
According to the Marseille prosecutor’s office on January 25, the tanker’s captain, a 58-year-old Indian citizen, was detained on suspicion of not having a legal flag for the ship. The tanker was stopped on January 22 in international waters between Spain and North Africa, after which it was escorted to the Gulf of Fos-sur-Mer, where it arrived on Saturday evening.
According to the investigation, the Grinch may be part of a fleet of ships used by Russia to export oil in circumvention of Western sanctions. A pre-trial investigation into the absence of a flag was opened on January 22. It is being conducted jointly by the investigative unit of the Toulon maritime gendarmerie and the Marseille Maritime Safety Center.
The ship’s crew, which also includes Indian nationals, remains on board. The prosecutor’s office specified that investigators are verifying the authenticity of the tanker’s flag and the navigation documents required for legal navigation.
The Grinch is currently anchored in the bay of Fos-sur-Mer, about 500 meters from the coast of Martigues. The ship is surrounded by a French Navy vessel and two gendarmerie boats. To ensure the safety of the investigation, maritime and air access restriction zones have been established.
French President Emmanuel Macron previously reported the tanker’s interception, noting that the operation was carried out with the participation of several allies, including the United Kingdom. The ship is 249 meters long. Under the name Grinch, it is on the UK sanctions list, and under the name Carl, it is on the European Union and US lists.
The Grinch operation was France’s second such action after the interception of the Boracay tanker in September 2025. At that time, the ship was also directed to a French port, and its captain was subsequently summoned to court for refusing to comply with legal requirements.
According to AFP estimates, about 598 ships suspected of belonging to Russia’s “shadow fleet” are currently under European Union sanctions. The French president has previously stated that increasing pressure on such ships should reduce Russia’s ability to finance the war against Ukraine.